Randjärv addresses the 18^th CBSS Ministerial Meeting 6 June

“Enhanced regional cooperation benefits from a free movement of people and enterprises. It is necessary to continue the efforts for a gradual phasing out of the visa regime between the EU- and non-EU- countries in the Region” said Laine Randjärv, President of the BSPC, in her address to the 18^th CBSS Ministerial meeting in Pionersky on 6 June. Speaking directly after the Chair of the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, she stressed that the BSPC “commends the work of the Russian Presidency of the CBSS in 2012-2013. Great efforts have been made to stimulate multilateral cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region. Sustainable economic development has been given keen attention. One of the main priorities has been the development of cooperation in the field of modernization and innovation”. BSPC too sees this as a main priority, Randjärv pointed out, emphasizing that “innovation is not confined to industrial production, but should be promoted in administrative sectors and for social governance as well. The challenges of the Region, such as e.g. environmental sustainability, labour market mobility, infrastructure and logistics, and organized crime, require innovative forms of cooperation and governance that transcend physical and organizational borders.” See also the CBSS website, where the Ministerial Declaration can be retrieved: https://www.cbss.org/the-18^th-ministerial-session-of-the-council-of-the-baltic-sea-states-cbss-will-take-place-5-6-june-2013-in-the-kaliningrad-region-of-the-russian-federation/